One day you turn on your computer and cannot see the CD-ROM or the DVD-ROM drive in the My Computer window anymore. This problem is very common for laptop and notebook computers and might be caused by a failed drive or by corrupted software. You can try the following repair steps before you decide that your drive is bad.
- I found this solution on Microsoft website and it helped me many times to fix the problem with a missing DVD/CD-ROM drive. I always try removing the CD/DVD drive from the device manager first and if it doesn’t fix the problem I go with removing the registry entry. Method 1 worked very well for me.
- If the above mentioned methods didn’t work for you, you can try to reseat the optical drive. Overtime the CD-ROM drive connector might get oxidized and a simple drive reseating can fix the problem. Try to remove the drive from the laptop and put it back. See if it will fix the problem.
- You can also try to boot from any bootable CD to see if you laptop recognize the CD-ROM drive on BIOS level. Put any bootable CD (Live Linux CD, Windows XP CD, Windows 2000 CD, etc) into the CD-ROM drive and change the boot order to start from the CD-ROM drive. If you laptop starts to boot from the CD, then the drive is recognized in BIOS and most likely it operates properly. In this case look for a software problem. It might be necessary to reload the operating system to fix the software problem. If you cannot boot your laptop from a bootalbe CD, then the drive might be bad itself.
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January 22nd, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Hi I’ve had the same problem on my Inspiron B130, and I’ve tried deleting the upper and lower filters, and I’ve tried the firmware download, and the firmware download worked, but the CD drive dissapeared again. So, the next time on the boot menu the option to boot to the CD drive was not there, but then a couple days later it was there, and then the CD drive dissapeared again and now I’m having the same problem with the boot to the CD drive not showing up on the boot menu. So, can somebody tell me why the CD drive keeps dissapearing, and how I can fix that?
January 10th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
My case is a bit unique. I have UMAX ActionBook340T laptop and a bootable Windows 2000 CD. I want to install Windows 2000. If I boot the laptop with this CD, the CD-ROM appears as drice E and the necessary set up information is copied to C for setup to start.
However in the later stages, the system requests for a windows 2000 setup CD to be inserted into E drive (when it is actually in the drive). On attempting to browse, My computer only shows two hard disk patritions C and D with CD-ROM drive missing. What could be wrong in this case?
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:04 am
I have Toshiba M105 and my dvd drive cannot be found anywhere (My computer, window explorer, device manager, BIOS…etc). It’s acting as if I don’t have the drive. When i put my recovery disc in, the DVD would spin as if it’s trying to read it but nothing would happen after the initial “reading”.
I tried system restore and it tells me that the action that happened to DVD rom is irreversible.
At this point, I really don’t know what to do. I want to reformat my laptop but I can’t do. Please advise. Thanks.
November 29th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Hi I have a acer 4720z laptop and my dvd drive has disappeared from my computer tab. it wont read disc and i am stumped i don’t know what to do! any help would be appreciated!
email me @ bereababe90@yahoo.com
use subject line: computer problem
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:56 pm
I’ve just fixed this issue with my Toshiba Satellite A305. I called the problem in and this is what they guided me to do!
In my case it was a software issue, so here we go!
1) go to http://support.toshiba.com
Once the DOS prompt pops up, you’ll have to “press any key” to start and “press any key” to exit
2) Where the search box is, click ‘Express View’
3) Type in this ID “98080671” and change the drop down menu to “Support Bulletin”
4) Click the search button!
5) “CD / DVD drive missing from ‘My Computer’ (Windows Explorer)” should pop up
6) *note if this will work with your Toshiba model* Follow on-screen directions to download “Toshiba Upper/Lower Limit Repair Tool (RmvFltrs.exe).”
7) After saving, unzip, and run! (it’ll look like the old DOS prompt)
9) Restart laptop
10) Check ‘My Computer’ – hallelujah ! it’s there!
If it’s not there after this, then the tech guy told me that it was a hardware issue, and I’d have to bring it in.
Hope this helps!!
November 10th, 2008 at 10:57 am
hi, i have applied your first method and it works. Thanks bye.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Atanas,
What cable you are talking about? Is it inside the display panel or somewhere inside the base? Take a look at this disassembly guide and let me know witch cable is destroyed.
I don’t think so. The DVD drive plugs directly into the motherboard.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:02 am
Hello,
. It is written MB –> BT on it, as well as … I dont remember the other stuff … like and the DVD is not working, and i am wandering if it is because of this cable.
I need to ask you about a cable i recently destroyed in my Satellite P105-S9722
So, could you pls tell me what MB –> BT means and what this little lcable is /it is like 11 pin, but i am not sure,
Thank you Much!
May 24th, 2008 at 11:20 am
HI, I have aproblem with my laptop toshiba model 2405-S201 in: device manager ( viceo controller and VGA compatible) what can I do.
May 5th, 2008 at 11:37 am
ive deleted my upperfilters but i don’t seem to have any lowerfilters?